Sitharaman asks girls, women to imbibe qualities of Rani Abbakka; calls her 'eternal inspiration for all'

Mangaluru: Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman called upon women and girl students to imbibe the qualities of Rani Abbakka, terming the medieval queen an eternal inspiration for all on Friday.

"Develop the qualities of the bravery of Rani Abbakka to protect dharma," she stressed after releasing a commemorative postage stamp of Rani Abbakka at a programme organised by the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, and Excellent Education Foundation at Excellent College in Moodbidri. She favoured the idea of setting up a Sainik School in the region in the name of Rani Abbakka.

"No words can express Abbakka's bravery. The Portuguese were ruthless colonial rulers and standing up to them was not a small task," Sitharaman stressed. Recollecting Abbakka's history, Sitharaman said she was alerted after the Portuguese's maiden attack on Mangaluru Port in 1525.

"The Portuguese had attacked Mangaluru and Ullal seven times during her reign. In 1555, they sent Admiral Dom Álvaro da Silveira to punish her after she refused to pay them taxes. She fought like a tigress and repulsed the attack successfully. In 1557, the Portuguese attacked Mangaluru," the finance minister said.

Sitharaman said the Portuguese army general and the navy captured Ullal in 1568 and entered Abbakka's royal court, adding that she sought refuge in a mosque.

"With a battalion of 200 soldiers, she attacked the Portuguese again. In the sixth attack in 1569, they gained control over Mangaluru port. However, she allied with the Bijapur Sultan and the Zamorin of Calicut. Kutty Pokar Markar, General of Zamorin fought on her behalf," she said.

Stating that the Centre had issued a special cover to honour Abbakka in 2003, Sitharaman said PM Modi had made it a point during the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav to document the history of unknown freedom fighters.

"Thus, Abbakka’s heroic fight has also been documented. Amar Chithra Katha has been asked to document the story of Rani Abbakka for children."

She said the Digital District Repository initiative is aimed at unearthing untold narratives related to the freedom struggle in each district by highlighting places linked to it.

She recollected the contributions of U S Mallya, Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Hari Vishnu Kamath and Umabai Kundapur, who were involved in the freedom struggle in Dakshina Kannada.  With the women's reservation bill passed, nobody can stop the reservation for women from being a reality post delimitation and census.

Rajya Sabha MP and Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade said Rani Abbakka had to fight enemies within the family alongside battling against external enemies.

Chief Post Master General Karnataka Circle S Rajendra Kumar, MLA Umanath Kotian, Senior Superintendent of Post offices Puttur division Naveen Chandar, Excellent Group of Institutions Chairman Yuvaraj Jain, Rani Abbakka Tulu Study Centre, Bantwal, chairman Dr Tukaram Poojary and others were present.

The portrait of Rani Abbakka stamp, based on a painting by Vasudeva Kamath and a special edition of the news bulletin of the college "Manorama," was unveiled on the occasion.